Rochdale Online Alliance League round-up

Rochdale Online Alliance Football League

Week 23 of the Rochdale Online Alliance Football League saw significant action at the top of all three divisions as the season enters its final phase.

Wardle’s home clash with Weavers was always likely to be a feisty affair, even though both sides appear to be contesting the runners up spot in the Concept Filter Products Premier Division this time round. Weavers began the better side in wet and blustery conditions at Rutherford Park in a first half full of incident including the need for two somewhat bizarre substitutions. The first for referee Joe Lowther, after he suffered a leg injury, and the second for Wardle defender March after he walked off the pitch following a row with a team mate.

Goalless at the interval Weavers again began the second period in the ascendancy but, as in the first half, the Wardle defence was outstanding and Smith was to miss the best chance of the half again when he couldn’t find the net when one on one with Fletcher in the Weavers’ goal.

Just as both managers were considering the merits of a point apiece it was third time lucky for Smith as the ball broke to him on the edge of the area, and his clinical finish earned Wardle a precious win with just eight minutes remaining.
The win leaves Wardle clear in second place for now though the chasing pack all have games in hand and will be watching the outcome of Castleton’s abandoned game with Asia with more than just a passing interest.

While statistically Roca are the side best placed to chase Castleton persistent problems with their home pitch means they surely have too many games to play and too much to do in the final two months of the league season, and their 2-2 draw with Fothergill & Whittles in a game switched from Springhill to Greenvale would seem to support this view. Fothergills dominated the first period and went in front on twenty minutes through Law only to throw away that narrow advantage when a carelessly conceded free kick on the stroke of half time was fired home by Cardoso. Despite enjoying the greater share of possession in the second half Fothergills rarely displayed the quality of recent weeks, and when Cardoso netted his second of the game from the penalty spot it looked like Roca’s gamble in conceding home advantage was going to pay off, until a determined run and deflected shot from Doyle brought the scores level in the dying moments of the game.

Three into two won’t go as the Matterson Cranes Division 1 title race tightens up and the remaining games between the top three will seemingly decide the destination of both the title and the promotion places. 

Nothing of any significance was decided last weekend as all three won, if only by narrow margins! Leaders Jacks House triumphed by the game’s only goal at Sudden Carling, Whitworth Valley were 3-1 winners at Hargreaves and Weavers triumphed by the odd goal in nine over Wardle 2nds at Firgrove. 

Wardle started the brighter of the two but it was Weavers in front after twelve minutes through Forshaw, a lead doubled ten minutes later by Faulkner. Both sides then had chances before the entire half was stood on its head as Wardle netted four times in the seven minutes before half time through Howarth, Large and O’Sullivan (2) to leave Weavers bewildered and no doubt ear bashed at half time.

Wardle appeared untroubled as the second half began but perhaps sat a little too deep allowing Weavers to come on to them, and the dangerous Faulkner soon reduced the deficit before Forshaw also claimed his second of the game in the sixty fifth minute to tie an intriguing contest up at 4-4. This now brought Wardle onto the offensive and only the extra defender named puddle prevented O’Sullivan from claiming his hat trick and the lead for Wardle again. Ironically there was no such ill fortune for Faulkner at the other end as he completed his hat trick on seventy seven minutes to earn all three points for his side in an excellent contest well controlled throughout by referee Trevor Mayne. 

Elsewhere, a hat trick from Patel was not enough for bottom club Rochdale Sacred Heart as goals from Rowlatt (2), Pownall and Jagger gave Peels Arms their fifth league win of the season and Castleton 2nds were 3-2 winners at Prestwich Town.

There’s a new name at the top of the Matthew Montgomery & Co Division 2 table as Syke 2nds thrashed their Jacks House conterparts by eight goals to two to move two points clear of Fothergill & Whittles 2nds with a game in hand. 

Wardle 3rds moved in to fourth place with a 3-1 away win at cup specialists Woodbank, thanks to goals from Jackson, Rain and Dewhurst, and Balderstone are up to fifth,with games in hand on every one of the sides above them, after a comfortable away win at Horse & Farrier.

And finally…an easy win for a rapidly improving Sudden Carling 2nds as McKenzie (3) and Lynch (2) kept Rochdale Asia 2nds rooted to the foot of a very competitive table.